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IX.

hand and power, as to the difcovery thereof. SERM. Lord wilt thou (fay his difciples) at this time refore the kingdom to Ifrael? wilt thou do it now? It would not, it feems, fatisfy them or ferve their turn, to have fome understanding, fuch as they might collect from the Prophets, whom they had in their hands, that GoD had a kind thought towards Ifrael, had not utterly caft off his people: they cannot be content to know only fo much; but, Lord! fhall it be now? Wilt thou now restore the kingdom to Ifrael?

THAT difpofition of fpirit, fince it is fo natural, ought to be watched and repreffed; and as we find any hankering in our own fpirits this way, we fhould fee to it that they meet with their seasonable, and due rebukes, even from our own animadverfions. We are, when a fuffering time is upon us, very impatiently fet upon it to know when fhall it be over? If we have any expectation of a good time, oh! but when fhall it be? Thus we would bring GOD to our punctilio, and to our very NOW. Upon fuch niceties. would we be with him, fo apt are we to dodge with the great Lord of heaven and earth. "That which I would have, fhall it be now? "or when shall it be? This is that I would be rid "or freed of, but when? How long muft I bear? "how long muft I wait?" This now is undutiful, and stands not with that creaturely fubmiffion, that is belonging and proper to our ftate much lefs with the fpirit of a child; that tractableness, refignation, yielding in all things

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VOL. to the Father's pleasure and wifdom, which is moft agreeable to that relation. And again,

II.

II. WE may learn hence, that times or seasons, whether they be good or evil to a people, fall not out to them cafually, or by chance; but they remain in the hand and power of GOD. We are too apt to let our fpirits work many times as if we thought fuch and fuch things came to pafs by cafualty. For if any ill state of things comes upon us, how apt are we to aggravate the evil of it to ourselves, saying; "Had it not been "for fuch a thing, this had not come; this "might have been kept off. If it had not been "for the miscarriage of this inftrument, our case "had not been fo bad. If it were not for this "or that unhappy accident, all had been well "enough." Alas! we forget, these things are. in his hand and power that overrules and orders all, that it is not blind chance that regulates the world, but the counsel and wifdom of GoD, that runs thro' the compafs of all events, and hath the conduct of all things.

III. WE may also learn, that men have it not in their hand and power to order times and seasons of good and evil, to God's people, as they please. We may fometimes feem to have that apprehenfion ourselves; and if we have not, fome may have an apprehenfion, that it is in their hand and power to difpofe and measure out good and evil, to the children of GoD, as they will. No, God hath not let the reins go yet, he hath the times and feafons in his own power. Say they fometimes,

" We

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"We will pursue, we will overtake, and we will SER M. "divide the spoil, we shall have our will over "them," when God hath not faid fo; and his will and work shall stand against and above theirs. And take we heed of our attributing too much to creatures, that what men have a mind to, shall be; or what they have no mind to, fhall not be. There is a GOD in heaven that changeth the times and feafons, as he feeth good. And, for the shutting up of all, let us in reference to this matter, and upon what hath been spoken to you, take in the clofe thefe few counfels,

I. LET us labour to trust in him, who hath all the times and seasons which concern us, and his people, and the world, in his own hand and power. Have we not reafon enough to do fo, and encouragement enough? And fo, tho' we be blind and cannot fee the product of to-morrow; know not what a day will bring forth; we shall have him to be eyes to us. He will be eyes to the blind, if they will but truft him. As when a blind perfon is led by another, he useth that perfon's eyes, who leads him. Let him. lead us on from day to day, time to time, feafon to feason. We cannot fee with our own eyes, but is it not better for us that we have better eyes to fee with? For we have one to fee for us, who feeth infinitely better than we. We know not the product of the next day, or week; but is it not enough that he knoweth the event of all future times, and that he orders all things with exact judgement. He is a rock, his work

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VOL. is perfect, all his ways are judgement, or reafon; II. the most exquifite reason, that is, the refult of deliberation, and the most concocted thoughts. Deliberation, it is true, can have no place with him, who is the most abfolutely perfect being; but that which is equivalent is intended to be fignified, by the applying it to him. He fees with one view all the connexions of things; and fo is able to outdo them who reafon but by degrees, and by recollecting of things after things, fo as to make a judgement at laft. Our GOD is a GOD of judgement, blessed are all they that wait for him". To every thing there is time and judgement. He doth particularly state the time and feafon, and applieth to every thing its proper time when it is moft fit it fhould fall out; and then it will fo do to the best purpose. Truft in him, I fay, who hath all future times and feasons in his own hand and power. The Father hath put them all in his own hand and power. Father! that is an expreffion of love, tenderness, compaffion, and care. Is he not fit to be trufted then?

2. SUBMIT to him, who hath all things and feasons in his power; refign, I fay, and yield the matter to him. Subdue an unquiet, turbu lent heart; beat down all wayward and perverfe reafonings. Father is a name of authority, as well as love. The Father hath put all things in his hand and power; he who is the head of the family, that great family, which is made up of heaven

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IX.

heaven and earth. And are you children of that SER M. family, and will you not allow that he orders the timeing of things as to him feemeth meet?

3. SINCE you cannot know his times and. seasons, pray labour to know your own. Since you cannot know the times and feafons which he hath put in his own hand and power, know thofe that he hath appointed to you. Though he hath hid from you thofe feafons of future events, in the contingencies of the world, yet he hath not hid from you the duty of all feafons and events. This is our time. Your time is alway ready, faith Chrift; that is, the prefent time is ours, that he hath put as a prize into our hands; the present time for present work, if we have wisdom and hearts to make use of it.

It is a dreadful thing not to know our own time. For man (fays the preacher) also knoweth not bis time. That was the miferable ftate of Jerufalem; they knew not the time of their vifitation. For our Saviour beholds the city, and wept over it, confidering what was coming upon it. Enemies fhould begirt it round about, fuch and fuch ruins should befall it, and all because they did not know in their day the things that did belong to their peace; but now they were hid from their eyes. Thou hadít a good time, as if he had faid, if thou wouldst have known it. We are barred up as to future time; but we are bid to know the prefent time, and what GOD

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